Valuables stolen from student cars in Lot 508

A recent string of car burglaries have caused students at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) to take extra precautions when securing their vehicles.

The thefts occurred in the early morning hours on Jan. 27 and were all reported in parking lot 508. Each car that was broken into had their windows smashed and the similarities between the incidents suggest that it was the same culprit, or culprits, committing each theft.

Screenshot of CSUMB’s Campus Crime Alert.

Items that were reported to be missing included a baseball bag that also held baseball gloves, a chain necklace and Oakley sunglasses. A Kate Spade wallet was also stolen from a vehicle, as well as a red emergency kit from another.

Student housing recently sent out an email to inform those on campus of these events and to give tips on how to keep your own vehicle and items safe.

“If you see a suspicious person, please do not approach them since they may be dangerous,” the email read, “Instead, call 911 or the emergency dispatch at (831) 655-0268 immediately and report the location and the physical description of the suspect’s clothing, height and weight, direction of travel and any vehicle description.”

It is worth noting that “many of the thefts from motor vehicles or auto burglaries here at CSUMB occur at night. The thieves selectively choose vehicles based on what they can see through the window or they check the door handles of cars until they locate one that is unlocked.”

There are a few ways to protect your vehicle from burglary as much as possible, including, “always lock[ing] your vehicle and mak[ing] sure all of your windows are closed, remov[ing] valuable items from plain sight, and consider[ing] having an alarm or security system placed in your vehicle.”

Updates will be published in upcoming issues as The Lutrinae communicates with the campus police about this issue.